Whether you’ve finished making your documentary or are in the planning stages, sooner or later you’re going to be working with documentary film distributors to negotiate a deal to distribute your film. There are many documentary distribution companies that specialize in buying and promoting certain kinds of films. For example, if your documentary is about health and social issues or is educational, there is a documentary distribution company for you.

Make a list of documentary film distribution companies to which you plan to submit your film to get you one step closer to having audiences and critics applaud your efforts. Here are some additional things to consider about documentary film distributors and wholesalers basics:

1. Learn what documentary film distribution companies do to promote and sell your work.

2. See if your film meets the subject criteria of documentary film distributors.

3. Gather information about the legal aspects and contracts of working with documentary film distribution companies.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find out what documentary film distributors and wholesalers do and what you can expect from them

Distributors either work for large studios or are independent and deal with films that haven't been financed by a Hollywood studio. In the case of documentary film production companies, there are those that work with Hollywood studios and those that don't. The type of film you make will determine which kind of distributor you are going to work with.

I recommend: Read the overview of what independent documentary distributors do at Skillset Film. Read about the services provided by Independent Television Service to learn what this television documentary film funder offers to those who want to work with them.

View the subject lists of documentary film companies to see if your film meets their criteria

Most documentary film companies have a listing of film titles or information about the kinds of films they are interested in distributing so that filmmakers can determine if their films meet the distributors criteria or not. This will make it easier for you to decide where to submit your film as well as who would be most likely to want to distribute it.

I recommend: Go to Bullfrog Films, which is a leading distributor of environmental documentaries. Fanlight Productions distributes documentaries that are on health and social issues, while Icarus Films is a documentary film wholesaler on various subjects for filmmakers from around the world. Visit Film Specific to learn about the online course it offers about film distribution that features information about how to work with independent and documentary film wholesalers and distributors.

Learn about contracts and other legal aspects of dealing with documentary film companies

Read all contracts carefully, and make sure that the terms are agreeable to you. Ask for clarification if there are any ambiguities to ensure that you are getting a good deal. Remember you are negotiating for your documentary film sales, so take your time before you sign on the dotted line.

I recommend: Go to Mark Litwak's Entertainment Law Resources to read the list of things you should know about film distribution strategies and tactics. View the video distribution contract on Copyright Crash Course to familiarize yourself with the negotiating process and to learn what expect from documentary film companies.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Consider working with a documentary sales agent to help get your film distributed. Documentary film agents will take your films to distributors and negotiate deals for you.

Documentary film companies produce hundreds of documentaries every year on every subject imaginable. These films are becoming more popular as movie watchers discover the wide array of interesting and informative topics they cover. Full-length documentaries and documentary short films have become eligible for Academy Awards, which shows the respect and acceptance these films have received from audiences and members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Retail businesses that want to sell documentaries and theater owners who wish to exhibit them must contact documentary film distributors to request the rights to these films. Working with the documentary distributors will allow these businesses to:

1. Purchase the rights to show one or more documentaries to a paying audience;

2. Employ a documentary sales agent who will help obtain the documentaries or the rights for a public screening of any film.

3. Receive discounts on bulk purchases of DVDs that will be used either as rentals or sale items.

4. Obtain promotional materials to advertise the documentary films.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Locate companies that deal in documentary distribution

Documentary distribution companies keep a large inventory on hand to supply your business with all the copies of a particular film you are interested in. They maintain a complete catalog of all the films that are available so retailers may peruse the list and order copies of several film titles at the same time.

I recommend: Order the documentaries you need from Smiley Documentary Film Distribution , Icarus Films and ro*co films.

Contact companies that specialize in documentary film sales

Film sales companies act as brokers for many different documentary production companies. They will carry the documentary titles that are produced by these documentary film companies and provide a retail business with everything they are looking for in one location. Some of these companies will also specialize in a particular style of documentary.

I recommend: Obtain documentary films from The Film-Makers’ Cooperative or Docurama. The African Diaspora Film Festival sells films that "depict the human experience of people of color."

Work with documentary film agents

A sales agent for documentaries will help your company locate the movie you want and work out the purchasing rights for you. The agent will work with you to get permission to screen a documentary to a paying audience and make sure you are aware of the obligations you will have and payments you must make before showing the film. The agent will also help a retail business secure the documentary titles they wish to sell or rent.

I recommend: Talk to agents from MAGNEPIX Distribution or Galloping Films.

Order movies from documentary film wholesalers

Documentary film distributors and wholesalers provide multiple titles and copies of documentaries to businesses that sell or rent movies. They offer retailers a discounted rate on the films and, most often, the more copies a company purchases, the lower the price will be for each film.

I recommend: Purchase documentaries and theatrical films at wholesale prices from KOCH Entertainment and Acorn Media Group.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Work with a documentary film distribution company that specializes in ordering hard-to-find movies that are requested by customers.
• •  Ask documentary film distributors and wholesalers about promotional materials that will encourage customers to purchase a particular documentary. These items are commonly included at no extra charge.

Learn the ins and outs of the business with documentary film distributors and wholesalers education and training. Check out the markets and your competition while discerning the best way to promote the films in your inventory and business list.

Documentary distribution is a great way to promote filmmakers who specialize in specific areas. There are many ways to ensure your success as a documentary wholesaler and distributor with usage of specified education and training. The following are some steps you might want to take:

1. Determine which independent documentary distributors achieve the most success with documentary film companies and analyze their strategies.

2. Obtain documentary film distributors and wholesalers education and training by linking with organizations that offer networking opportunities.

3. Attend conferences that further educate documentary film distributors.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Join the ranks of producers who became independent documentary distributors for their own films

While some producers find it beneficial to hire a sales staff to promote films, many producers find that they make the best documentary sales agent for their films. Not only will you know the most about your film, you can also reduce expenses by eliminating a sales force. There are many resources online that educate filmmakers on the distribution process.

I recommend: The International Documentary Association is a rich resource for learning how to distribute your films. It offers tips on research and strategy for the independent documentary film agent. Find information on the business aspects of starting your own documentary distribution business by looking into resources from Capital.com. This site offers basic information on starting up as a wholesaler.

Study the markets for documentary film distribution

Several resources detail film statistics over different periods of time. Studying these statistics provides patterns for optimal documentary distribution.

I recommend: Nash Information Services offers distributors and wholesalers an analysis of the market to aid in determining market niches and strategies. It offers detailed analysis of individual titles. The Center for Social Media highlights many resources including Docurama, which analyzes documentary markets in specified time frames.

Enhance your skills in documentary film distribution by attending conferences and seminars

Documentary distributors learn more about the industry with detailed information on the current market and through networking. Conferences and seminars offer opportunities for distributors and wholesalers to learn the inside scoop on current trends.

I recommend: Centaur Productions offers seminars for those interested in documentary distribution. It offers connections between filmmakers and those who plan to distribute the titles. The American Film Institute offers an international conference for documentary distributors. In addition to seminars on the inner working of the business, it also offers many opportunities for networking.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Build a relationship with independent filmmakers to increase your inventory for documentary distribution.

Many documentary film businesses find that purchasing wholesale equipment saves them time and money. They turn to distributors and wholesalers for bulk purchase items like documentary films. Knowing documentary film distributors and wholesalers key terms benefits both the distributor and the business.

With a keen understanding of documentary film distributors and wholesalers key terms, businesses and wholesalers communicate effectively. The knowledge makes it easier to understand specifically which type of documentary a consumer is looking for and which titles the wholesaler or distributor provides.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Wholesaler

A wholesaler is a person who purchases large quantities of goods, such as documentary videos, then resells the titles to merchants as opposed to selling directly to customers.

I recommend: KnowThis defines the benefits of becoming a wholesaler, including the benefits to the consumer. It describes the job in detail.

Documentary film

A documentary film is a type of film that portrays reality in one form or another. A documentary frequently includes interviews. Many wholesalers look for the documentary genre since it appeals to many consumers.

I recommend: WiseGEEK offers a brief history of the term documentary. It discusses the type of filming along with explanations of how filmmakers use documentaries.

Genres

There are many genres, or categories, in documentary and nonfiction. Some of these include autobiographical or ethnographic documentary, direct cinema, compilation films and television documentary journalism. Non-fiction includes memoirs and autobiographies.

I recommend: DocumentaryFilms.Net offers an example of different types of genres for documentary film. It demonstrates how a documentary could be a drama, an independent title, a classic title or some other genre.

Narrative film

This type of film covers a series of events in a structured format. Using cause and effect, the events themselves provide the plot for the films. The story lines tend to run in a linear or chronological format.

I recommend: Examiner.com details ways that a filmmaker can take a narrative and use it in a documentary. It discusses the idea of narrative in documentaries.

Adaptation

An adaptation takes one art form and presents it in another medium. For example, an adaptation could include a film version of a popular book or a stage version of a film. The adaptation maintains historical settings and a majority of the original dialogue.

I recommend: Acorn Media Group provides a list of films it offers in its wholesale catalog, including adaptations such as "Marple" and "Village Affair."

Distributor

A distributor is a third party who sells products from a company to the consumer, often at wholesale prices.

I recommend: The International Documentary Association is a rich resource for learning how to distribute your documentary films. It offers tips on research and strategies for independent documentary film distribution.